Best & Cool Bars in Sydney

"Escape to the country at one of Sydney’s most Instagrammed cafes, complete with a coffee roastery, artisan bakery, sustainable garden, and a small animal farm (home to resident pig Kevin Bacon!). This urban sanctuary occupies over an acre of space in a former industrial precinct in Alexandria, an inner-city suburb south of the CBD. The cafe's breakfast staples include avocado on toast, a burger on a brioche bun, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, and a healthful bowl of organic black rice and kale."

"A firm Sydney lunch favourite since opening, The Grounds of Alexandria has gone from strength to strength. This destination restaurant and café has a paddock-to-plate approach, and will have you munching down on the likes of buttermilk pancakes, Turkish-style eggs and toasted crumpets, or tempting you with the hearty Brekkie Burger served with a side of polenta chips. There is also a bakery churning out all kinds of delicious breads, muffins, cakes and tarts."

"Restaurants Potts Point. We might be a city of shifting dining whims, but our love of scampi, split and grilled in their shells, next to a tangle of spaghetti wearing vermillion tomato sugo and chopped parsley like edible couture never falters. That’s why it’s always a roll of the dice for how hard it’s going to be to get a table at Fratelli Paradiso for lunch on a weekend."

"One of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney is offering up a whole heap of their menu highlights for pre-order and pickup, much to the fortune of Potts Point locals, and much to the envy of everyone else. And yes, that includes their mind-blowing pasta scampi, as well as their fried calamari, and even the pretzel with whipped roe from sister restaurant 10 William St. order.hungryhungry.com"

"Offering its guests streetside dining, Fratelli Paradiso is a firm choice for alfresco eats for its mouth-watering selection of handmade pasta dishes. That's not all though as hungry diners can expect to be wooed with tiramisu, fresh pastries and handpicked bottles of wine."

"Located at the top of Customers House, the cafe guarantees you a spectacular view of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor as you sip on Australian-grown and brewed coffee. Address: 5 Sydney Customs House, 31 Alfred St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Phone Number: (02) 9251 8683"

"Don’t be fooled by the boring name—Cafe Sydney is anything but, this is the place to go to for a bite of local cuisine, boasting some of the best food in the city. They’re famous for their sweets, so make sure to leave some room for dessert. Laid-Back Fine Dining"

"Don’t let the name foul you though - there’s much more than coffee as this Australian inspired restaurant. The price can be a bit salty but the food is heavenly, in particular the oysters. A restaurant for that perfect romantic dinner we say."

"One of the oldest pubs in the city, Forrester's is the cool Sydney restaurant you need to visit. Having stood on Riley Street for over 100 years, the Surry Hills dining destination serves a killer weekend brunch, alongside a legendary $10 steak deal every Monday night."

"For a chilled out night on the town, Forrester's is a great place to start. The welcoming neighbourhood pub plays host to a lineup of events throughout the week, from live comedy to head-scratching trivia nights, perfect for two."

"A gorgeous destination in Bondi Beach, Bondi Hardware is the plant-filled paradise that your brunch dreams are made of. Grab a table on their leafy terrace and tuck into some of the prettiest plates of food in Sydney, with flower-topped avo toast and colourful brekky bowls washed down with fruity cocktails."

"If you head all the way through Bondi Hardware, you'll find a hidden oasis of botanical bliss that's perfect for outdoor dining (there's even heaters for when it gets chilly). Head on over to enjoy one of their famous brunches and you're guaranteed to stick around for a good few hours."

"An established Northern Beaches brewery with outposts scattered around the Northern Beaches. At the brewery in Brookvale, the Truck Bar (literally fashioned from a 1960 Dodge pickup truck) is the place to be, with Thursdays being game night. Giant Jenga and shuffleboard anyone?"

"A party-time oasis of pink flamingos and private cabanas for the past 12 years, Ivy Pool Club underwent a refresh in 2020 to provide more al fresco dining options. Additional booths and poolside tables were installed, and chef Vincenzo Biondini expanded his menu to include Italian-ish salads and antipasto such as mortadella, burrata and giardiniera. Pool Club now has table service too, and guests really keen to push out the inflatable swan can order caviar and Dom Perignon from Uccello next door."

"Inspired by the Italian coastline, this rooftop pool bar is a taste of the Mediterranean in the heart of the city. “I arrived here just 2 weeks before the lockdown and a lot of my friends told me that this venue was great!. So, I just want to live the experience as well!"

"Ivy Pool Club is one of Sydney's most popular bars, found at the top of the Ivy complex in Sydney CBD. Recline in a private cabana or take a dip in the crystal clear water under the city skyline, with premium cocktails and Italian-style bites available if you get hungry."

"Bondi to Bronte walk – a must do when you visit Australia Catch the ferry to Manly – a cheap way to experience beautiful Sydney Harbour with stunning views of the city is to catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and back. In Manly, walk down the palm tree-lined Corso towards the beach for an ice-cream, walk around to picturesque Shelly Beach, or grab a cold beer at Manly Wharf Hotel. Time your return ferry trip back to the Quay to coincide with the sunset behind the harbour bridge."

"Great food should be shared – that's the philosophy at Henrys on Grosvenor Street in Neutral Bay. This stylish restaurant is the North Shore's go-to spot for cool, contemporary dining, set on the leaf... "Postcard Views of Sydney."

"You are confined only by the walls you create" reads the text printed on the glass walls hemming in LuMi. It's a little hammy, sure, but the mood is right on: in bringing a Japanese mood to bear on Italian cuisine, Federico Zanellato treads territory few chefs dare to. But his scope is far wider: a single scallop, sliced and put back together with interleaved slivers of rhubarb and jalapeño, for example, is listed on the menu as ceviche, but plays like sashimi, and spins in a new wave crudo direction with a base of buffalo curd and rhubarb vinegar."

"Drawing inspiration from Italian food and interweaving masterful Japanese influences, LuMi Bar and Dining takes fine dining to a whole new level by bringing together two incredibly different cuisines for one cohesive experience. The menu is ever-changing due to seasonal availability, but the seven-course degustation always impresses. If you consider yourself an oenophile, we recommend also taking advantage of the wine flight designed to pair with each of the dishes paired by expert sommelier, Michela."

"With a prime backdrop of the Pyrmont waterfront, LuMi Bar & Dining is an idyllic dinner destination for relaxed fine dining. The food is Italian with a Japanese twist, and served only in a degustation menu designed around seasons and market availability. Choose between a 5-course, 7-course, or 10-course feast, and pair it with something from the Italy-focused wine list."